Week 2

First, I inserted a black, white, and gray pixel grid image. Then I used Transform to adjust the size of the image, and applied Repeat to duplicate it many times to create a digital dot–like effect. After that, I composited the generated image with the camera.

Then I used Threshold to create a retro effect by increasing the contrast between black and white, and then softened the transitions between light and dark areas.

I composed these two effects and added a Lookup to the camera. 

After that, I decided to extract the distance between my index finger and thumb to control the two effects I created. I dragged one of the data channels into the Threshold parameter, so when I open and close my fingers, the sensitivity and contrast of the image change accordingly.

The difficulty I encountered was applying this same control to the pixel-dot effect. I used a Constant to control it before, and I wasn’t sure which parameter I should drag the data into. What I wanted to achieve was changing the number of pixel dots to control the clarity of the image so that the resolution of the visual would shift depending on the distance between my fingers.

In the end, I chose to drag the data into the Rotation parameter. This way, when I open and close my fingers, the pixel dots rotate accordingly.

• Watching Reflection

From 14:00 to 15:00, the combination of light and bodily movement seems very much in unison. This section feels like the performer is trapped in a nightmare. The body twists and struggles on the ground, while the lighting forms a frame around him. The stage is almost entirely black so the physical body is barely visible. Instead, the performer’s movements are revealed through the constantly shifting frame of light. Technically, the media appears to detect the boundary points of the body, and the light uses those points to transform the body’s contour into a flat, geometric frame. I find this effect both harmonious and compelling. Although the body itself is concealed in darkness, we can still perceive the character’s movement through the changing frame, and we can feel the emotional intensity of the struggle. It feels as though the character is trying to break free from something, yet remains confined within an invisible boundary. In this moment, the body and the media are unified.